Adjustable valve-actuating means



Sept. 8, 1959 P. sPENcE .ADJUSTABLEr vALvE-AcTuATING MEANS Original vFiled Feb, 8, 1955 FIG. 2./2,

1N V EN TOR. PAZ/SEN SPE/VCE l 2,903,012 .224-, ADJUSTABLE VALVE-ACTUATIN G MEANS r Paulsen Spence, lBaton Rouge, La.

application February 8, 19'55, Serial No. 486,892, '..now Patent No. 2,820,472, dated January 21, 1958. Divided and `thisyapplication May s17, 1957, Serial No. .659,965 y `4 Claims. (Cl. 137-271) My invention relates to an improved rotary-stem construction for a float-operated or like mechanism and, in particular, to the combination of the same with Valve mechanism. This application is a division of my copending-'applicatiomSerial No. 486,892, filed February 8,1955, now PatentllNo. 2,820,472, granted January 21, 1958.

1. `Itis/an object to provide improved means of the character indicated.

f ff'It is-another object to provide an improved rotary stem Aand valve with readily adjustable means for adjustablyl coordinating these elements.

iItis aufurther object to provide improved regulatingvalve means in combination with float mechanism and characterized byadjustable connection of the float mechanism to the valve.

"JItis ".also Van object to meet the above objects with r'nechanismthat is .exibly adaptable to a variety of instllations,.without requiring disassembly of parts.

"jiOtherobjects and various further features of novelty an'd' invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in vthe art from a reading of the following specic'a'tionein conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a simplified side elevation in partial section, showing a oat chamber forming part of a tank supplied by valve means of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View in the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a Sectional view in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2; the plane of Fig. 2 is also identified by the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates a rotary stem journalled in a housing and serving to interconnect mechanism inside the housing with mechanism outside the housing; the mechanism outside the housing may include valve means controlled by mechanism inside the housing by way of an angularly adjustable cam on the rotary stem. The mechanism inside the housing may include a valve member, but in the form to be specifically described, the mechanism inside the housing is oatoperated, and the external valve mechanism regulates the supply of iluid to the tank or reservoir in which the oat is placed. The valve may be a pilot-controlled regulator of the pressure-responsive variety with means resiliently loading the pressure-responsive element of the pilot, and my novel connection including the cam is made to the loading means for the pressure pilot.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is shown in application to level-control mechanism for a tank having a side-mounted float chamber 11 containing a iloat 12 on an arm 13. The chamber 11 may include a side housing or extension 14 to accommodate arm 13, and motion of arm 13 may be transmitted through the housing 14 by way of a rotary -stem 15; a nut 16 (Fig. 2) is shown removably connecting arm 13 to stem 15, by way of a bracket or lug 16 keyed to stem 15.

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I prefer that lthe means providing support for the rotary stem 16 shall include a bonnet 17 removably secured, as by bolts 18, to a bonnet opening 19 in the side-arm housing 14. The opening 19 may be one of two openings 19-20 at oppositely facing sides of the housing 14. The openings 19-20 are preferably of the same size and are similarly bored and tapped to accommodate securing bolts 18-21. The arrangement thus provides for `selective application of the bonnet 17 either to cover the opening 19 or the opening 20, and the opening 20 not used for the bonnet 17 may be closed by a cap or cover 22. The bearing for stern '15 preferably includes stufing means 23 and a removable frame 24 for supporting an outboard antifriction bearing 25, all in the manner disclosed in greater detail in my cepending application Serial No. 442,986, filed July 13, 1954.

For the arrangement shown, feed control at the inlet 27 to tank 10 is provided by regulating means including a main valve 28 and a pilot valve 29. The pilot may include a pressure-responsive member or diaphragm 30 responsive to pipe or tank pressure, as provided by connection 31 to the feed pipe 27 shown. Pilot 29 may include a valve member 32 of the normally-open variety, that is, urged by resilient loading means 33 into a valveopen position, in the absence of suicient control pressure via line 31. When in the open position, valve member 32 admits upstream pressure fluid via a line 34 to a control-pressure line 35; line 35 has a bleed connection 36tto the downstream side of the main valve 28 and a control connection 37 to the diaphragm or other pressureresponsive means beneath the bonnet 38 of the main 7' Valve. Standards 39 rigidly connect the pilot-valve framework to the base 40 of the bonnet 17.

`In accordance with the invention, I provide an adjustable control connection between mechanism 13 within the housing 14 and the `mechanism 29 outside the hous-` ing 14. This adjustable connection is shown to include an externally accessible cam 41 carried by the stem 15 and in adjustable loading relation with the resilient loading means 33. As shown, the loading means 33 is compressed between a plate 42 (in direct-driving relation with the stern 43 of the pilot valve 29) and a cross-head 44, slidable in spaced guides 45 and limited by stop-nuts 46. A cam-follower roll 47 is mounted on the crosshead 44 to ride the cam 41.

In order to adjust coordination between the mechanism 13 inside the housing and the mechanism 29 outside the housing, I provide means lfor adjustably selecting the angular position of ythe cam 41 on the rotary stem 15. For this purpose, the cam 41 is seen in Fig. 2 to include enlarged hub portions 48-49 on both axial sides thereof. The portion 48 carries worm means 53 engaging a toothed portion 50 of the stem 15, and the hub portion 49 may be provided with set-screw means 51 to secure a given angular adjustment. In the arrangement shown, a screwdriver slot 52 on one exposed end of lthe worm 49 facilitates cam adjustment.

In use, and beginning with an empty tank 10, there will be substantially no pressure in line 31, so that pilotvalve member 32 will be wide open to control admission of maximum flow in main valve 28. This maximum iiow is, of course, governed by downstream-developed pressure (sampled by line 3-1) while tank 10 is filling. Upon attainment of the desired level, iloat 12 will drive stem 13 counterclockwise in the sense of Fig. 3, thereby relieving the loading of cam 41 on spring 33, so that pilot 29 may close to shut olf main valve 28. The approach to shut off is a gradual one, determined by the slope of cam 41, and by the resulting gradually reduced regulated ows passing through main valve 28 for each counterclockwise increment of cam movement. This means that the tank can be quickly filled substantially to Patented Sept. 8, 1959` 3 y the desired level, and yet feed control after the tank has been illed can be extremely sensitive to slight changes in level. For the fluid-level embodiment shown, the means SQT-Sn thus. provides,- simple adjustment, for precision controlJ of` level.

'ltjhasl been. indicated generally. aboyethat the:va1v,e. operating mechanism (including cam 4l on stem.15 )A i s selectively applicable to cover eithervone, of the housing openings 19-20. Actually, this, 180 reversibility= is achievable without necessitatingv removal of the cam, 41 from the shaft or stem 15, as long as. the cam. 41L is formed4 with` a first rise for one direction of.` stern; rota,.- tion. over aiirst angular range of stem movement,v and av second (and, preferably, similar) rise for-theother direc?. tion offstemrotation over asecond angular range oisteml movement. This `desired (relationship, is achieved, for; various symmetrical cam designs, and particularly. when. lam 4l is an'` eccentric@v as shown.A

Thus, the structure shown; and` described will; be seen to be fully 180? reversible,y `without removingI cam, 41 fromv thestemv 15. The operationl has already-been described for mounting with the bonnet; 1T secured at openf. ing 1,9, and withpilot valveI 29 below camu41. If, onthe other hand, it, should be desired to mount bonnet 17, includiugycam4 41 andr stern 15, in the reversedv position, i.e., atv opening 20, with pilot valve 29. again below cam. 4,1, the bonnet 17 may be directly mounted in suchposition, the only camV adjustment necessary being; one of, angular adjustment on stem 15 (by way of ,gear means 5053^), to. make sure that the properrise ot earn. 41 is. acting. on the cam followen 47` Ito achieve, the desired.. control relationship..

Y housing- While. I- have described; my invention` in, detail, for,

to both said openings and removably carried by said housing at one of saidyopenings, a unitary bonnet and valve-actuating assembly including a bonnet member adaptable to both said openings and removably carried by said housing and covering the other of said openings, and a valve secured to said unitary assembly; said unitary assembly comprising a rotary -stern journallved in said bonnet member and connected to said arm;-val`ve'actu ating means for said valve andincludingya. cam carried by said rotary stem, externally accessible angularly adjustable means for'adjusting, said? Carnonsaid: stem, said camhaving af first rise forl a rst: fraction off rotation, of said stern, and said carn having a second rise for, Itheopposite direction of angular movement for a second fraction of a rotation; of-r saidi stem, whereby said unitary bonnet and valve-actuating assembly may be kept intact regardless of the selected bonnet mounting on said 2,. The combinationoffclarn,1iin.whichtsaitt ausw larly adjustable means; comnrises.- gear: means; coasting between said cani.. and: stem. yforV adjustablyy angularlyl` setting. said cam, on. said stem., whereby/the; coordination of. valvey actuationv with. annL position; may'A be selectiyely adjusted.

3... The. combination. of: claimt 1.,. in. which said. cam is an eccentric.

4;. The combination; ofT claln 1,. in which; said; valve means inclndes pressurerrespcnsve actuatingrmeans and loading means therefor,` andi camziollower: means,- riding4 said; earn. and.inbiasingrelationwith saidloading means.

References Cited in the rilef ofjthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS! Strong: June; 16', 19531 

